Dredge-bucket pin



J CROUCH ET AL DREDGE BUCKETPIN.

FILED Nov 11 1920 Jan.. 16, 1923.

INVENTOR. Zewzs 27?(5 Patented dan. iti, i923.

UNWE STATES PATENT WFH@ kann 'TOI-IN CROUCH, LEWL'S D. HOPFELD, AND CHARLES BI. RGMANOVTZ, 0F NATOMA, CALIFORNIA.

DREDG'EeBUCKET PIN.

Application filed November 11, 1920.

To (W Iifi/loin t ym ay/ con/Ccm lile it known that we, lonN Cnoucir, Lnwis D. Horrinnn, and UHAuLns M. BoaniNowrrz. citizens ol" the United States, residing` at Natoina, in the county ot Sacramento, tritate of California, have invented a new and useful Dredgelucket lin, of Vwhich the ii'ollowing is a specification in such i'ull and clear terms as will enable those skilled in the art to construct and use the same.

This invention relates to a dredge bucket pin and its object is to produce a pin which will be easy to take out or put in and which will be a perfectly plain pin loose in its bearings and free to revolve.

It will be understood by those skilled in he art that owing to the size of dredge buckets that the pins are troni three to eightinches in diameter an-d several feet long so that they are very expensive7 and owing to the further tact that the dredge buckets are ordinarily made of manganese steel, they are very diiiicult to machine. Another difficulty is that the freight is very high on machine castings, while With the present invention, the pin is to be placed in position without machining` the bucket at all, suitable bushings being used to act as bearings for the pin.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the end movement ot' the bucket pin which will enable the bucket to be easily removed troni the chain when that is necessary, while at the saine time the pin will be securely locked in place and cannot work out ot place.

It Vwill ot course be understood that with a well fitted bucket lock and pin, there is practically no tendency ttor the pin to travel endwise when the bucket chain is operating, so that while means must be provided to prevent the pin from working endwise, that such means may be comparatively light.

Other objects of the invention Will appear as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numeral is applied to the saine portion throughout, but I am aware that there may be modifications thereof.

Serial No. 423,385.-

Figure l is a side elevation ot a pair ot buckets showing two pins in place and one pin removed.

Fig. 2 is z, sectional view along the reir ter line et the pin.

Fig. 3 is a sectional` view on the line l-3 of Fig. -l oit one ot the outer bushings.

Fig. flis an end view ot one of lthe outer bushings.

The numerals l and 2 indicate the buckets, these buckets have a single lu at one end and two lugs et and 5 at their opposite ends. The lugs el; and 5 are placed apart to embrace the single lugs ot the next adjacent bucket of the entire chain. The single lugs are provided with recesses to receive semicircular renewable bushings (5 and 7 and the openingthrough. which the pins 8 pass in the single lug is made so that the pin will tit it loosely.

Lugs e and 5 at the opposite end of each bucket are made with openings shaped to receive bushings 9 and l0, these bushings are each provided with ianges l1 and l2, the former iianges extendingl dowiiwardly iroin the bushings and being seated in lthe lugs -land 5 to prevent the endwise movement ot the bushings when they are in place.

At the outer ends each bushing is provided with a flange l2. This flange-projects inwardly and when the bushings are in place in their lugs, prevents the end wise movement of the pin. The holes in the lugs l and which receive the bushings 9 and l() are iliade, large enough so that when the chain is slacked up and two ot' the buckets pulled toward each other` the pin connecting the two buckets can be removed over the top ot the tiange l2 on either ol" the end bushings. When once the pin is removed the buckets` separate and the bushings may then be replaced in both the single and the double lugs.

lVhen the bushings have been renewed, the ends ot the chain are brought together so that the pin may be driven through the opening in the single lug over the top of the ianges l2 and when seated in place the buckets are allowed to separate by the Width ot the flanges and the pin is securel,v

held in place. rThe outer tlanges ll seatedil (u) in an opening in the bucket lugs which prevents them from moving lengthwise of the pin.

What we claim is as follows, but various modifications may be made in the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly described form, within the purview of our invention.

A link connector comprisinga pin, bushings substantially semi-Circular bearing on each end of the pin, flanges on said bushings to retain the pin in place and to retain them in a link to which they may be applied, and other links bearing; on the opposite side oE the connecting; pin.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 30th day .of October, A. D. 1920.

JOHN CROUCH. LEVIS D. HGPFIELD. CHARLES M. ROMANOTVVITZ. 

